Antonio Blanco Museum

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia Travel Guide

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Antonio Blanco Renaissance Museum

Overview: Man, this guy had the life! I think Antonio Blanco’s “art” subjects, his eccentric and uninhibited lifestyle and his lofty property are more interesting, perhaps, than his actual art. But, he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and famous artists in Bali. That being said, the Antonio Blanco Museum is fascinating and a place you definitely want to visit while in Ubud.

Originally hailing from Spain and educated in Manila and New York, Don Antonio visited Bali in the mid-1950s. His first encounter is sort of humorous. When he visited Bali for the first time, he saw topless women walking around and working – as was the culture back then. Of course, he immediately fell in love with the place. Continuing presence of foreigners and expats in Bali, Antonio Blanco, shortly after, set up shop at the top of a hill in Campuan Village. Campuan Village, by the way, is located in west Ubud, just south of Kedewatan Village.

Antonio’s works, most often depicting female subjects, are on display in his home/studio, which was converted into a musuem in 1998. The museum itself is like a resort and definitely provides a sense of being in paradise. When you enter, you’re immediately given a fresh glass of orange juice by the female staff dressed in traditional Balinese clothes. The grounds are composed of a hodgepodge of gardens and the natural jungle of the surrounding environment. There are tropical, trained birds on branches that you can sit on your arms and shoulders. Throughout the carefully manufactured hilltop grounds are statues, a temple for his family and an assortment of sculpted objects.

In the museum, which as Antonio’s house, hang portraits of Antonio Blanco’s subjects, family and Antonio himself and Antonio’s keepsakes. You can browse through a booklet, which has a compilation of his works and which educates the reader about Antonio Blanco. The studio has a stone staircase leading up to the second floor on which you’ll find his art pieces depicting Balinese life.

One thing I should note is that the staff a the front ticket office was not so accommodating. When I asked about a handicap entrance, they acted as if they were being bothered. But, where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Location: Campuan, Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Site: www.blancomuseum.com
Email: a-blanco@indo.net.id
Ph: 62 0361 975 502
Hours: 9am – 5pm

Cost: Rp50,000

Accessibility: The Antonio Blanco Museum does not have a handicap entrance. There a few steps leading up the entrance. Next to the steps, however, is a steep concrete driveway. You can wheel up that and then thrust yourself onto the top step next to the entrance. Again, this isn’t handicap accessible. Once you’re in the museum, you can easily wheel about the grounds and into the first level of the museum.

Getting There: Cab it for about Rp40,000 or hire a driver for the day and then head over to the Neka Art Museum.